


A Grande Setup

by SaraJaye



Category: Fire Emblem Echoes: Mou Hitori no Eiyuu Ou | Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Genre: Alm and Celica are a sappy couple, Alm and Celica really want this thing to happen okay, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Awkwardness, Barista Rinea, Berkut needs love, Cliche, Crazy schemes, Crushes, F/M, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Insecurity, Matchmaking, Rudolf being alive, Shyness, back porch makeouts, contrived notes detailing schedules, interrupted attempts at sex, this is tropey as fuck and idgaf
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-02
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-06-01 12:37:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15143234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye
Summary: In which Berkut is a sad overachiever, Rinea is an insecure barista, and Alm and Celica are the matchmakers who just want everyone to be as happy as they are.





	A Grande Setup

**Author's Note:**

> Any Character(s) / Any Pairing(s) – Not another gratuitously indulgent coffee shop / university AU.

When it came down to it, he could count the things he had to be grateful for in his life on one hand. One of them was that his uncle said he could stop by any time he needed to unwind, and the other was having a roommate who understood his hatred for wild parties and constant noise. The downside to this was that Berkut _needed_ to talk to other people sometimes, much as he hated it, and Luthier was basically married to his books.

Uncle Rudolf had said he'd be home earlier that evening, so Berkut figured it was a good time to stop by and chat. He'd been doing that since before puberty, Uncle Rudolf always seemed to get him more than his own mother did.

Unfortunately, Uncle Rudolf wasn't home quite yet when Berkut turned his key in the lock. Even more unfortunately, his cousin was, and he wasn't alone.

"Must you, Alm? You're aware that this is the _living room,_ aren't you?" The pair sprung apart.

"Nice to see you too, cousin," Alm muttered, straightening his shirt.

"Sorry," Celica muttered, buttoning her blouse. "Alm didn't tell me you were coming over."

"I thought Dad would be home before he got here, and we'd be...you know, finished." Alm coughed. "Anyway, Berkut, he just texted me, said it'll be another fifteen minutes. Celica and I were going to get dinner started if you want to help." Berkut sighed. He was happy for his cousin, he really was, he'd known Celica since they were practically infants and they'd been all but married since they were in preschool. And Celica was a kind and thoughtful person, it was clear why Alm thought the world of her.

But that didn't mean he wanted or needed to see them constantly in a state of near-sex every time he came over, and he especially didn't need it after a day like today.

With a resigned sigh, he got to work setting the table. One nice thing about setting a table at his uncle's was that he didn't care which side the forks went on.

 

"Hey, Celica?"

"Hm?" Celica turned to him, brushing a thick red curl behind her ear. The sun was setting, and they were cuddled up on the porch swing enjoying the warm night air. Berkut and Father were holed up in Father's office talking as usual, and the concern Alm often felt for his cousin was especially strong tonight.

"I think Berkut needs a girlfriend," he said. Celica's eyes widened a bit in surprise.

"You thought so, too? I've been feeling that way for a while, but I didn't want to say anything," she said. "After all, he's _your_ cousin, and he tends to get prickly when people other than your father try to help him."

"I know," Alm sighed. "That's why I kept quiet until now. I know he's sour and moody, but he seemed even more so than usual tonight...and I think it was because of us." Celica bit her lip.

"He _does_ seem uncomfortable around us when we're so...affectionate. I always thought maybe we were pouring it on too thick, it's not the first time anyone's called us on it," she said. "You really think maybe he's just jealous of what we have?"

"Yeah. Not in a mean way, but a lonely way," Alm said. "Berkut's never had an easy time keeping friends, much less dating, and the few girlfriends he's ever had wanted to..." He cringed as the next words left his mouth. " _Heal his broken soul._ "

"But he's not even _broken._ " Celica made a face, practically gagging on the word _broken._ "He's too serious for his own good, he's shy, but so's Kliff and no one's trying to fix _him._ "

"Exactly." Alm nodded. "Berkut needs a girlfriend who won't treat him like some kind of project. If she happens to make him smile more often, well...added bonus!"

" _Added bonus_ is redundant, Alm," Celica teased. Alm rolled his eyes.

"We're not in English class, you know." Celica giggled, snuggling under his arm and resting her cheek against his shoulder.

"We _do_ have a test in a few days, though...not that I'm particularly invested in studying for it right _now,_ " she murmured. "I'm more interested in picking up where we left off earlier." Alm smirked, cupping her chin in his hand and leaning forward, until their faces were less than an inch apart.

"I thought we were going to talk about finding my cousin a girlfriend?"

"Maybe this will provide some inspiration," Celica whispered, and brought their lips together. Alm kissed her back eagerly, knowing that this time they were much less likely to be interrupted. He could never resist this, and they were in no particular rush to find Berkut a special person.

_Besides, if we want him to be as happy as we are, we can't afford to rush it._

 

Celica had never been much of a coffee drinker, and she normally wouldn't care for such pricey drinks. But the caramel or chocolatey-chip Frappuccinos were worth the price, and the atmosphere inside the local Starbucks was so relaxing even when it was crowded. Coming here had become part of her daily routine, with or without her friends, to the point where the baristas knew her order and her name by heart.

"The usual, please," she said cheerfully.

"Usual?" The barista, a woman Celica had never seen before, turned around. She had a sweet face with wide, gentle eyes and long blue hair she kept in a braid hanging over her shoulder.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I'm used to Catria standing there," she said.

"It's my first day here," the woman said quietly. "Catria's in the storage room."

"Ah...well, I guess I should give you my order, then, you're probably wondering what I meant by the usual," Celica said. "One grande caramel Frappuccino, please."

"Of course." The woman turned to another barista, who guided her through the process of blending. One thing Starbucks was known for was its on-the-job training, the supervisors were very patient with the new workers. That was another thing Celica had come to like about the place.

The woman was almost finished when the door swung open, Berkut striding through purposefully with his books tucked under his arm and a calculator sticking out of the pocket of his coat.

"Venti dark roast, please, and keep it as dark as the night itself," he said. The young woman set Celica's order in front of her, only to gasp as she set her eyes on Berkut.

"Ah! You...er, of course, sir, just let this young lady pay for hers?" Celica saw Berkut's face turn red as he finally noticed she was there, and she stifled a giggle.

"Fancy seeing you here, Berkut," she said.

"Celica, I am _so sorry,_ " he muttered. "Where are my manners?" He glanced towards the woman. "And you...I didn't even expect you to be working here, I..." Celica raised an eyebrow.

"You know each other?"

"Sort of," the woman murmured.

"Rinea is in a few of my classes," Berkut said. "But we've never really talked..." He trailed off, his voice carrying a tinge of regret.

"Yes, well...I suppose it can't be helped," Rinea sighed, taking Celica's payment. Celica stuffed two bills into the tip jar.

"Well...I'll let you fill his order, then," she said, taking her drink and sitting down in a chair not too far from the counter. She watched Rinea take several deep breaths before filling a venti cup, Berkut fumble through his wallet for the correct change, then apologetically empty his change pocket into the tip jar. Both were blushing heavily, and Celica thought back to last night's talk with Alm.

_He knows her, and from the look on both their faces, they already like each other. All they need is a push in the right direction..._

 

Of course she knew him, and to simply say she liked him would be an understatement. Rinea Foxwood had been smitten with Berkut Rigel from the moment she laid eyes on him, and wished she had the nerve to so much as say hello to him. Sadly, she'd always been the shy type, and even knowing wealth and status were an outdated concept in this day and age she still felt funny about approaching a rich man when her family was still reeling from the loss of her father's business.

The move to the town of Ram had been to escape the mockery and pitying remarks they'd faced back in the city, but she still had yet to make any friends. She talked to a few of the women in her classes, who were kind to her; Silque was a motherly sort, Sonya strove to bring people out of their shells, and Faye was the sweet and helpful cashier of the little general store Rinea was falling in love with. And deep down, Rinea knew it was up to her to take the first step.

 _If you wait until you're ready, you'll never do anything._ That was why she'd taken the job at Starbucks, even knowing she'd be dealing with crowds and customers for hours on end. It would be easy, safe, to take a quiet job at the small bakery or the library where she could work in the back room. Easy and safe, but she didn't _want_ to be safe. She wanted to come out of her shell without needing Sonya to hold her hand.

It was only the first day and she already felt like hiding under a counter. All because _he'd_ been one of her first customers. The rest of the day had been spent calculating her every move and word as she served dozens more strangers, and lying to her supervisors when they asked if she was feeling okay. _My parents need my help, I can't afford to lose this job because the people in charge don't think I can handle it._

Sometimes she wondered if she should have taken the safe, comfortable job at the bakery. _For every step forward there's two steps back, but for me it's more like a giant leap. If I can't handle serving someone a cup of coffee, how am I going to get by later in life? I'll be an old woman before I'm even halfway out of my shell!_ Just the thought of seeing Berkut again made her wish the ground would swallow her.

 _No._ She shook her head, taking off her apron and carefully hanging it in the storage closet. _I'm living a new life here, I can be a whole new person. I don't have to be the poor daughter of the unfortunate man whose business flopped. We came here for a fresh start, nobody even made the connection between our last name and the bankruptcy._

Maybe tomorrow she would take Sonya's advice and just _try_ to say hello to Berkut. After class, when (she hoped) neither of them would be in a rush elsewhere, and when she didn't have to memorize five different drink orders and the names who ordered them.

_Tomorrow._

She said goodnight to her boss and supervisors, gathered her purse, and left for home.

 

He came back to Starbucks first thing the next morning. He had no excuse; the cafeteria opened at five in the morning, campus had plenty of vending machines, and he lived close enough to his mother and Uncle Rudolf to have breakfast with them if he wanted. Luthier always made sure they had cereal on hand, and they had a Kheurig.

But he still went to Starbucks for a cup of their bitter brew and a subpar bagel, braving the early morning crowds and rush hour traffic, just to see _her._

He made sure to get on the line where she was taking orders, pretending he still hadn't made up his mind when another barista asked if they could help him. He pretended to debate whether or not he wanted some sort of flavoring in his coffee until finally, he was face to face with her.

"Good morn- _oh._ " She blushed. "Berkut, fancy seeing you again..." She shook her head. "Ah, I'm sorry, I...um, what can I get for you?"

"A plain bagel with cream cheese and a grande dark roast." At least dark roast was _supposed_ to be bitter. "No milk, no sugar."

"I'll get that for you right away," she said, leaving Berkut to figure out how to ask what her shift schedule was without looking like a stalker. Or he would have, if a note hadn't suddenly landed at his feet.

A note with Rinea's shift schedule on it, in familiar handwriting. Sure enough, when he turned around, he caught a flash of red passing by the window. _Celica!_ And then Rinea was coming back with his order, Berkut stuffing the note into his pocket before she could catch sight of it.

"Thank you." He fished a ten-dollar bill out of his pocket. When she gave him his change, he dropped it into the tip jar, and Rinea blushed.

"That's too much! I couldn't possibly-"

"Please, take it." He smiled, trying to appear gallant. "You loaned me a pen during civics class one week ago, consider this payback."

"Oh! I...I'd actually sort of forgotten that." She turned redder. "Listen, Berkut, I-"

"Not now." He picked up the paper bag containing his breakfast and his coffee cup. "I don't want to hold up your other customers. But this afternoon, if you're not doing anything, perhaps we might..."

She smiled, her hand briefly reaching out to rest against his.

"I finish at three." His heart raced, his cheeks burned, and his smile grew.

"Perfect."

"I'll see you then," she said. He nodded, she let go of his hand, and he took his breakfast to an outdoor table. Who cared if it was chilly and might start raining? Right now, all he could see was sunshine and bright blue skies.

 

"We did it!" Alm whispered. "Celica, you're a genius!" Celica grinned as they turned the corner, walking briskly. They'd had to leave extra early to do this and still be on time for their first class, and it had been worth it.

"Who says the silly old setup tricks don't work in real life? He didn't even notice us!"

"Now we just need a way to make sure he invites her to dinner next time you come over," Alm said. "I wouldn't be much of a cousin if I didn't make sure everything went as well as Berkut deserves, after all."

"And if all goes well, they'll get married, and we'll be their best man and maid of honor!" Celica sighed. Granted, it was a bit too soon to be thinking about _that,_ but what was wrong with hoping? After all, everyone deserved to be as happy as she and Alm were.

**Author's Note:**

> Alm and Celica are totally the Cory/Topanga of Valentia only with more dangerous drama. Meaning without the dangerous drama, they're even more like Cory/Topanga.


End file.
